Do you send both a Text and HTML version of your newsletter?
If you have answered NO to one or both of these questions you could be sabotaging your own newsletter efforts!
Why do I need a double opt-in list?
Double opt-in is the process whereby when someone signs up to receive your newsletter via your website they receive an email from your email list provider, which asks them to confirm their subscription by clicking on a link in the email. Clicking on the link they receive in your email confirms them as a subscriber to your list.
This process is known as double opt-in as:
:: they opt-in once via your newsletter sign up form on your website; and
:: they opt-in again by clicking the link on the email that they receive from your email list provider.
It is very important that you have this process in place as it avoids a subscriber being signed up to your newsletter by a third party, and therefore reduces the number of spam reports that you are likely to get. For a second time, your subscriber has confirmed that they DO want to be on your mailing list.
One problem is that your subscriber may not even confirm their subscription, in which case you've lost them. But if they really do want to receive information from you they will be on the lookout for your confirmation email. A smaller list of subscribers who really do want to receive your information is better than a large list of half-hearted subscribers?
Just recently I had a conversation with support at my email list provider and asked them about their double opt-in process. They told me that those lists that are set up as double opt-in lists are sent via a secure server that has been approved by the ISPs thereby resulting in a higher deliverability of your ezine. Lists that are not set as double opt-in get sent out on a different server and could result in your ezine being blocked by the ISP.
So even if your subscriber has you on their white list (or friends list) if your list is not a double opt-in list they may not even receive your ezine as it could be blocked by their ISP.
Check with your emailing list service as to their policies on double opt-in.
Why do I need to send both Text and HTML versions of my newsletter?
Again sending both versions of your newsletter ensures that it will get through to your subscriber. Some subscribers have their email programs set up to only receive text emails, and if you only offer a HTML version of your ezine they are not going to be able to read it.
Also, if you've sent your broadcast in both versions there's a good chance it won't be viewed as spam/junk email as spammers don't usually send emails in both formats.
Conclusion:
To fix low newsletter deliverability there are two things you can do right away:
1. Ensure your list is set to double opt-in.
2. Send out both Text and HTML versions of your ezine.
